The Mirror reports that Saudi Arabian businessman Turki Al-Sheikh has denied rumors that he is in talks to acquire Manchester United.
Previously, he had hinted that Manchester United's acquisition was close to completion, triggering heated discussions among Red Devils fans. He wrote on Twitter: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United are now in the advanced stages of completing a deal with a new investor... I hope he is better than the previous owner."
However, he later clarified the situation in a new post, denying claims that he was involved in the negotiations, and revealing that the negotiating party was not from Saudi Arabia.
Late Thursday, he said on social media: "My post yesterday about the potential sale of Manchester United can only mean one thing: the club is in advanced negotiations with a new investor. To be clear, I am not that investor, nor am I from my country. I am posting this news only as a fan who hopes that this deal can be successful, although it does not necessarily happen." Sir Ratcliffe completed the acquisition of 27.7% of Manchester United in 2024, paying approximately 1.25 billion pounds. He outbid Qatar's Sheikh Jassim Jassim in the bid.
He said at the time: "The acquisition plans to return the club to its former glory. The acquisition will be completely debt-free, investing in the team, training center, stadium and wider infrastructure, fan experience and the community the club supports. The vision of this acquisition is to make Manchester United famous for football excellence and regarded as the greatest football club in the world."
Since defeating Jassim, Ratcliffe has been working hard to transform the Red Devils, both on and off the field. He invested heavily in the squad and backroom team and was instrumental in unveiling plans for the club's new stadium, but he has been criticized for widespread redundancies. United have struggled since Ratcliffe's arrival. They had the worst record in the Premier League last season and were beaten by Tottenham in the Europa League final.